Emily Greens Golf Course in Emily, Minnesota Sells for Over $1.3 Million
A Brainerd Lakes Golf Course Changes Hands
Emily Greens Golf Course in Emily, Minnesota has sold for more than $1.3 million, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. The 18-hole public course, located about two hours north of the Twin Cities at 39966 Refuge Road, is one of the most distinctive golf properties in the Brainerd Lakes region. The sale includes the clubhouse and all related course operations. The $1.3 million figure reflects the land value recorded in public documents, and the full sale price, which may include equipment and business assets, was not disclosed.
Minnesota's Largest Green Sets This Course Apart
What makes Emily Greens stand out is its signature 17th hole, home to the largest green in Minnesota at more than 16,750 square feet, roughly three times the size of a standard golf green. The course originally opened as a 9-hole layout in 1983, expanded to 18 holes in 1997, and was designed by Dan Lingwall. It plays approximately 5,100 yards from the back tees as a par-69 course, split between an executive-style front nine and a more traditional championship-style back nine.
Who Sold It and Who Bought It
The seller was Ernie Rose, a pro golf instructor and founder of Ernie Rose Golf in Eden Prairie and Office Golf on the Bloomington-Edina border. Rose owned the course for four years before selling this month, having purchased it from Gregg Gamble, who owned and operated the course for decades before him. The SVN Northco Real Estate Services team out of St. Louis Park represented Rose in the transaction.
The buyers are Jeremy Wacker, chief operating officer at Avon-based Blattner Co., and Paul Huynh, a partner at Minneapolis-based Mill City Law P.A. and owner of Red Pine Ventures, an Emily-based hospitality company. Both men have lake homes near Emily and describe the community as a place they have been connected to for years. In a joint statement posted to the club's Facebook page, the pair described Emily Greens as more than a golf course, calling it a gathering place and a cornerstone of the Emily community.
What This Signals for Minnesota Golf
Their priority as new owners is to maintain the accessibility and atmosphere that golfers have always experienced at Emily Greens. One notable data point from the seller: more than half of the course's revenue comes from the shorter, executive-style front nine, pointing to a growing preference among golfers for shorter, more relaxed rounds. This sale is part of a broader wave of golf course activity across Minnesota, following the $7.7 million sale of The Wilds Golf Club in Prior Lake and the recent $2.19 million listing of Blackberry Ridge Golf Club in Sartell.
Thinking about buying or selling in the Twin Cities? Let's talk. Text Darin Bjerknes at 612-702-5126 or DM on Instagram @darintheminnesotan.
